


Suicide Squad

by bi_ceratops



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark Avatar Korra, F/F, F/M, Ghazan is a chill dude, Red Lotus (Avatar), why is there a ghazan/rocket racoon tag?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:21:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29587161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bi_ceratops/pseuds/bi_ceratops
Summary: "But there's been an... issue. We need your help."Ghazan studies the man's face. He's expecting Sokka to fold and joke that this is all some cruel joke and burst into laughter. The change doesn't come. "It must be quite the issue if you had to come to me for help."This prompts a dark, dry laugh from Sokka. "You have no idea."---Ghazan is reunited with the Red Lotus to find Avatar Korra, who has recently bonded with Vaatu. For all intensive purposes it's a suicide mission for the four extremely skilled terrorists and their babysitter. Zaheer is scheming. P'Li is vengeful. Ghazan is a nuisance. Ming Hua is tired. Things have changed, but also, things have not.[An AU where Vaatu bonds with Korra and the Red Lotus is sent to find her.]
Relationships: Ghazan/Ming-Hua (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato, P'li/Zaheer (Avatar)
Kudos: 13





	Suicide Squad

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't completely planned this out so tags are a bit bare but they'll be updated. I'll mention in the notes if any of the archive warning ones apply but it will only be graphic violence or major character death if I'm feeling ✨spicy✨  
> I've been consuming lots of chaotic Red Lotus content recently and this came into my head.  
> Hope you enjoy! I can't promise this will get updated often but it will get done :)

Ever since Ghazan was a teenager he has known about Harmonic Convergence. It had been one of those things Zaheer and Unalaq had talked about for hours in hushed and hopeful voices, looking forward to their free futures. 

It goes without saying that Ghazan's never forgiven that two faced piece of sewer muck Unalaq for letting him rot in prison and he and Ming Hua had stopped listening to all of Zaheer's spirity ramblings once the novelty had worn off, but that doesn't mean that Ghazan has ever forgotten the stories. There's not much to do in a wooden prison in the middle of the ocean except reminisce, and Ghazan's sure he's got every conversation he actually bothered to listen to down pat in his head. Or at least how he remembers them anyway.

The group are sitting round a fire that P'Li created. She's leaning on Zaheer's shoulder, stoic and silent as he tells of the great reckoning between the two spirits, purple skies, crackling lightning and a new era, born of their avatar, which will bring spiritual and human freedom and equality. Ming Hua and Ghazan both try to look casual but they're utterly transfixed by every word. Zaheer's always been good with his words and the story of Harmonic Convergence feels more like an epic tale he'd read in a children's book and not something that's going to happen in just over a decade.

So when he sees the sky turn from an innocent baby blue to a mysterious purple from his bare little wooden cell Ghazan swears. "So Zaheer was right. Huh." There are probably more eloquent ways of phrasing that but the sky has just cracked open and halfway across the globe the avatar is battling the embodiment of chaos. Nobody's cared what he's had to say for years anyway.

The stuffy White Lotus guards are panicking. There's a small minority of them who actually speak to Ghazan and an even smaller number who bother to banter with him who he likes but for the most part they're grumpy old men who are 'masters' of their respective bending types (Ghazan's fought enough of them in his day to know they're not nearly as good as they're supposed to be). It's funny to watch them finally be flapped, jerking back from the side of the boat and pointing at the sky.

One of them storms over to the cage. "What is this?! What are you doing Ghazan?!"

Ghazan laughs. "You really think I could pull this off? This is Harmonic Convergence buddy. This is one of those spirity end of the world things." He snorts to himself. "Zaheer's probably shitting himself in excitement."

"I don't believe you!" The Lotus snaps but doesn't press any further. For a second Ghazan falters and wishes he'd lied, used the Harmonic Convergence as a threat and escaped. Instead the Lotus struts off to watch with the rest of the sentries on the ship, leaving Ghazan to hang on the bars of his cell and gaze at the sky.

It's a deep purple, washed with sharp greens and bright golds that shine brighter than the stars. The only time he's seen anything remotely similar were the spirit lights of the north that they'd watched on their way to meet Unalaq for the first time. It was a beautiful, peaceful night when they didn't have to worry about world governments or prison guards - they were just a group of kids with their whole lives ahead of them. Zaheer and P'Li were snogging under the lights. Ghazan had reached out and shyly put his hand on Ming Hua's shoulder and for once she smiled instead of shrugging him off. 

Now the air is unbearably hot. Lightning and thunder is beginning to peek through the majestic wash of colours in the sky. The sea looks black in this light. Ghazan is utterly alone.

He stands in his cell and gazes out at the scenery. He doesn't even contemplate finding a way to escape whilst the guards' backs are turned. Even if there was some way for him to get a hold of a rock and lava bend his way out of here, or if by some miracle the lightning strikes the roof of his cell he's trapped in the middle of an ocean with no knowledge of sailing and everything is just too much, from the black frothing ocean that is beginning to rock the boat wildly and the rumbling air. He just watches and waits for it to end.

He's gotten very good at waiting.

It lasts longer than Ghazan expects. The way Zaheer put it the avatar would fight the bad spirit (he can't remember its name. Hagu? Vatee? It's been a while), defeat it in the name of the Red Lotus, the spirits would finally be settled and the new age of freedom would be consolidated for ten thousand years. Things might not have worked out the way they necessarily should have done but Ghazan assumes the broad strokes are all the same. 

After what feels like hours of waiting the sky finally peels back the purple to reveal the blue, but it's not quite right. The sky has a grey sheen to it. Not in the sense that there's a new cloud but it's desaturated and the sun looks more white than yellow. The shadows on the boat are also darker, blacker, and they feel like they should be opaque. The sea on the other hand is the brightest blue Ghazan has ever seen. If he cranes his neck he can see little rainbow fish darting around in the water and part of him would be relieved to see a colour other than green, blue or brown if it weren't freakishly unusual. The air is also hot and heavy like syrup but the wind has an icey bite to it. Everything feels off kilter. Ghazan doesn't remember Zaheer mentioning this.

One of the Lotus's looks to another. The sleeping guards have rushed to the deck to find out what the commotion is and some of the younger ones are trembling, caught in their underwear and bewildered by the change. Even the older ones look unnerved. The Lotus who had accused Ghazan of causing the incident narrows his eyes and commands. 

"Get me an emergency messenger hawk. We need to find out what the hell is going on."

The ship is a buzz of uncertainty and tension for the next two weeks. The sea is extra humid but that's not the reason everyone feels like they're being boiled alive. One of the Lotus's sent out a messenger hawk Ghazan didn't know they had the day of the incident and the only thing that returned was radio silence, so Ghazan assumes he's not the only one who's back to waiting for nothing. He though he'd perfected the art, but he's wrong. He feels especially twitchy. The added heat makes him feel nauseous every time the boat rocks too hard.

What they don't know is that the rest of the world is waiting with baited breath too. Waiting for the eleven year old Airbender to wake up from her coma and emerge with the ability to bend all four elements. Waiting for the Dark Avatar to recover and plunge the world into darkness with her righteous hand. 

One morning, totally unexpectedly, a speedboat pulls up alongside the wooden monster Ghazan's been living on for the last decade. It's the kind of boat that usually contains the fresh faced guards for shift change, but that is not due to happen for another week. It's also slicker, a large Varrick Industries slogan slapped on the front. There's one man in the typical White Lotus gettup that is totally inappropriate for the weather conditions who's driving, and another person who stands up calmly and strolls onto the boat like it's another day at the office. If anything it's a refreshing change from the quivering newbies. 

Then Ghazan sees his face. He looked old before, but now he seems almost ancient. White hair, leather hard skin. He's still confident and smiling but there's an undercurrent of serious and his eyes keep on flickering to the boomerang attached to his belt.

"You here for a fight, Grandpa?" Ghazan taunts from his cell. "You're looking awfully closely at that boomerang. You should be careful - you look old enough to loose an arm if you throw it too hard."

"My age didn't stop me from kicking your ass a decade ago, Ghazan." Sokka laughs. The bastard is just as smug as he was the last time they met, which stings just a little bit more because in another life Ghazan feels like they could've been friends. They've got the same affinity for banter and annoying waterbender women. "Anyway I don't think I'm looking bad for going on 90." Sokka flexes, showing off his 'muscles' and winks at Ghazan. Ghazan rolls his eyes. "Yeah, Suki does that too."

"Are you here to interrogate me? We both know I'm not cracking. The good old earthbender nuetral jing."

"I'm not here for that either. One of the Lotus's tells me you're aware of the recent Harmonic Convergence."

"Yeah. So?" Ghazan huffs. "Doesn't mean I caused it."

"I'm not saying you did." Sokka says. "In fact I know you didn't. But there's been an... issue. We need your help."

Ghazan studies the man's face. He's expecting Sokka to fold and joke that this is all some cruel joke and burst into laughter. The change doesn't come. "It must be quite the issue if you had to come to me for help."

This prompts a dark, dry laugh from Sokka. "You have no idea. Trust me, if I could be enjoying my retirement on Kyoshi Island right now I would be."

Ghazan raises an eyebrow. "So what, is Zaheer free? You want me to tip you off, tell you where to find him? Because I won't." He folds his arms and retreats into the shadowed section of the cage. 

Again, Sokka laughs. "Again, I wish it were that simple. This is one of those pesky end of the World things."

Then he nods at the Lotus who was in the boat with him. He steps forward and a jet of fire blasts out his hand. It's white hot and slices through the wood like butter so instead of a small hatch for meals to go through there's a large Ghazan sized hole. The other Lotus's look astounded, mouths agape. They'd be attacking were it not for Sokka's reputation. 

Ghazan eyes the hole with scepticism. Sokka shrugs nonchalantly. "Are you coming?"

\---

In a small mountain range in the North the police chief metalbends a pair of cuffs onto a scarred airbender with flowing grey hair.

\---

In the bottom of a volcano in the Fire Nation the Lord escorts the waterbender without arms to a dragon.

\---

In an icy pit in the the quiet twins and the fuming dad move the third eyed firebender in a block of ice.

\---

In a hut in the Southern Tribe a grandmother fusses over the small girl the world hopes will become the new avatar and restore balance. She just wants her Granddaughter back.

\---

In a small town in the Earth Kingdom the new dark Avatar forces the spirit of chaos down inside her and tries to focus on the letter she's penning to Tenzin. Her eyes flash orange and suddenly the paper is burnt to ash. 

Korra sighs and tries again.


End file.
